Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore computers, dies at 83

The company introduced its first low-cost PC, the Commodore PET, in 1977, with its two models selling for $595 and $795. It was followed by the Commodore VIC-20 in 1980. And in 1982 came the hugely popular Commodore 64, a best-seller that initially sold for $595 and quickly dropped to $199.

"Jack Tramiel is really the man who brought the average person into the computer industry," said Michael S. Malone, a Silicon Valley historian and author.